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NY Gun Dealers Busted for Selling without Background Checks

Ten gun dealers have been arrested for selling weapons at gun shows in New York without performing the required background checks.

The Buffalo News reports that undercover officers from the state's Attorney General's office went to several gun shows to make the illegal purchases. In some cases, the officers told the sellers that they had orders of protection against them and they would not pass a background check. No problem, some of the dealers said, here's an assault weapon anyway. In a few cases, the dealer took the officer off-site to make the transaction.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a written statement:

"The illegal sale of guns at gun shows endangers the public by giving felons, terrorists and the dangerously mentally ill an open and anonymous marketplace to buy guns without a background check. Our investigators found a blatant disregard for the law where sellers made the conscious decision to sell deadly weapons to individuals who admitted they would not pass a background check."

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The dealers face misdemeanor charges under the state's general business law.

New York is among seven states that require background checks on all guns sold at gun shows. Most states require only licensed gun sellers to perform background checks. This is the so called "gun show loophole" that critics say lead to illegal sales to people who are not allowed to own guns.